Monti and Esquilino - Rome's oldest quarter and its markets ברומא

In a nutshell: this chapter covers the hills and valleys east of the historic core, and you can explore them piece by piece. The Monti quarter is the postcard version - ivy, wine bars and boutiques wrapped around ancient lanes, with Nero's buried Domus Aurea below - while Santa Maria Maggiore and the Esquilino adds the mighty basilica and the two great museums of the Museo Nazionale Romano. San Pietro in Vincoli hides Michelangelo's Moses a few streets away, student-filled San Lorenzo shows the grittier side of the capital, and the eating and drinking page collects the wine bars, trattorias and markets. The area works brilliantly as a base: it sits steps from the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, a short walk from the historic centre, and the Termini hub puts the Vatican and San Giovanni & Testaccio within easy reach.

Highlights of Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo

• ✦Palazzo Massimo alle Terme - wonder at the bronze Boxer at Rest and the frescoed rooms from the villas of imperial Rome.
• ✦Monti - potter around Rome's ivy-draped, bohemian-chic neighbourhood, lingering at wine bars and browsing boutiques.
• ✦Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore - take in the Byzantine and baroque splendours of one of Rome's four patriarchal basilicas.
• ✦Domus Aurea - explore the subterranean remains of Nero's massive golden palace, excavated beneath the Oppian Hill.
• ✦San Lorenzo - eat and drink among Romans in this buzzy, off-the-track district near Sapienza University.

Getting around

• ✦Metro - Cavour (line B) is the handiest stop for Monti; Termini (lines A and B), Castro Pretorio (B) and Vittorio Emanuele (A) cover the Esquilino; line C runs out to Pigneto.
• ✦Bus - Termini is the main hub. Buses along Via Nazionale or Via Cavour reach Monti; lines 71 and 492 serve San Lorenzo; Pigneto is served by 81, 810 and 105, with night bus n12 after dark.
• ✦Tram - trams 3 or 19 are an easy way into San Lorenzo, while trams 5, 14 or 19 run to Pigneto.

Where to stay

The area around the station harbours lots of cheap hotels and is extremely convenient, but Monti is the nicer area to stay. San Lorenzo has lots of local life and is lined with graffiti-coated 19th-century apartment blocks. The guide's map picks in Monti are Fifteen Keys, Hotel Condominio Monti, Sentho Roma and Villa Spalletti Trivelli; around the Esquilino, 66 Imperial Inn, Artemide, The Beehive, Generator Hostel, Jo&Joe, Residenza Cellini, RomeHello and Top Floor Colosseo cover everything from hostels to boutique stays.

Getting around on two wheels

Rome announced an additional 150km of cycle lanes during the pandemic, and more people are spotted on bikes these days - but two-wheeling around Rome is not for the faint-hearted: experienced riders only.

• ✦Cooltra (cooltra.com/en) - this electric scooter (Vespa-style) scheme is a good-value choice for short hops.
• ✦Bici & Baci - rents bicycles, e-bikes and scooters.
• ✦Eco Move Rent - rents bikes, scooters and Vespas, and also offers a range of Vespa and Fiat 500 tours.
• ✦Treno e Scooter - scooter and Vespa hire in front of Stazione Termini.
• ✦Lime (li.me) - the e-bike sharing scheme in Rome, a handy way to get around.